High paying production jobs in Idaho with no experience

The best paid production occupations in Idaho that require neither a degree nor prior experience in a related job. This is the narrowest cut on the site, so it is also the shortest list: where a field has only two or three such occupations, there is no page at all rather than a page pretending otherwise.

Cost of living: prices in Idaho run 4.5% below the national average (2024), so a Idaho salary is worth about 1.05× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Idaho.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find production jobs in Idaho

OccupationMedian, Idaho · Employed

1Power Plant Operators$124,440
High school diploma or equivalent
$68,960 – $137,670310
2Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$77,100
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,100 – $84,930550
3Machinists$58,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,450 – $81,9201,070
4Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$58,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,330 – $81,990320
5Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$57,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,930 – $89,760480
6Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$53,340
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,340 – $77,560480
7Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$52,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,820 – $74,9501,480
8Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,160
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,880 – $74,710780
9Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,500
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,040 – $65,070370
10Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$50,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,370 – $70,7903,300
11Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,410
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,240 – $64,510480
12Food Batchmakers$49,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,980 – $61,2301,700
13Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$48,350
High school diploma or equivalent
$39,520 – $59,720700
14Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders$48,250
No formal educational credential
$37,910 – $55,860430
15Dental Laboratory Technicians$47,380
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,280 – $101,230370
16Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$46,720
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,250 – $60,3303,950
17Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,810
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,690 – $63,780760
18Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$45,730
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,980 – $57,670830
19Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$45,130
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,790 – $83,3702,900
20Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders$45,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,630 – $75,380790
21Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$44,870
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,470 – $61,510970
22Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$44,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,990 – $54,800510
23Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,210
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,380 – $57,9205,890
24Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$42,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,100 – $57,770520
25Slaughterers and Meat Packers$40,370
No formal educational credential
$37,720 – $47,680450
26Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$39,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,240 – $63,6901,430
27Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$39,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,240 – $50,540720
28Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers$39,200
No formal educational credential
$31,200 – $44,530280
29Printing Press Operators$38,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$30,240 – $56,510610
30Helpers--Production Workers$38,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,460 – $47,3801,140
31Butchers and Meat Cutters$38,030
No formal educational credential
$29,570 – $50,3701,480
32Production Workers, All Other$37,480
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,170 – $56,210810
33Sewing Machine Operators$37,160
No formal educational credential
$28,790 – $49,280410
34Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$35,140
No formal educational credential
$23,700 – $45,5401,350
35Bakers$34,060
No formal educational credential
$21,100 – $46,1102,230

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianIdaho	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Power Plant OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$124,440	$68,960 – $137,670	310
2	Chemical Equipment Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$77,100	$46,100 – $84,930	550
3	MachinistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,810	$38,450 – $81,920	1,070
4	Structural Metal Fabricators and FittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,140	$36,330 – $81,990	320
5	Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,950	$50,930 – $89,760	480
6	Computer Numerically Controlled Tool OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$53,340	$40,340 – $77,560	480
7	Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,210	$40,820 – $74,950	1,480
8	Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,160	$39,880 – $74,710	780
9	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,500	$40,040 – $65,070	370
10	Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,530	$40,370 – $70,790	3,300
11	Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,410	$37,240 – $64,510	480
12	Food BatchmakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,570	$32,980 – $61,230	1,700
13	Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,350	$39,520 – $59,720	700
14	Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and TendersNo formal educational credential	$48,250	$37,910 – $55,860	430
15	Dental Laboratory TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,380	$36,280 – $101,230	370
16	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,720	$35,250 – $60,330	3,950
17	Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,810	$36,690 – $63,780	760
18	Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except SawingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,730	$36,980 – $57,670	830
19	Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,130	$34,790 – $83,370	2,900
20	Food Cooking Machine Operators and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,120	$36,630 – $75,380	790
21	Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,870	$36,470 – $61,510	970
22	Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,690	$37,990 – $54,800	510
23	Miscellaneous Assemblers and FabricatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,210	$35,380 – $57,920	5,890
24	Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,690	$34,100 – $57,770	520
25	Slaughterers and Meat PackersNo formal educational credential	$40,370	$37,720 – $47,680	450
26	Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,980	$30,240 – $63,690	1,430
27	Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,580	$36,240 – $50,540	720
28	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and TrimmersNo formal educational credential	$39,200	$31,200 – $44,530	280
29	Printing Press OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,650	$30,240 – $56,510	610
30	Helpers--Production WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38,240	$32,460 – $47,380	1,140
31	Butchers and Meat CuttersNo formal educational credential	$38,030	$29,570 – $50,370	1,480
32	Production Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37,480	$32,170 – $56,210	810
33	Sewing Machine OperatorsNo formal educational credential	$37,160	$28,790 – $49,280	410
34	Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersNo formal educational credential	$35,140	$23,700 – $45,540	1,350
35	BakersNo formal educational credential	$34,060	$21,100 – $46,110	2,230

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Idaho. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Idaho

Metro areas in Idaho

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Idaho

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Idaho to rank honestly.

High paying production jobs in Idaho with no experience

More for Idaho

Metro areas in Idaho

By field in Idaho

Without a degree

High paying production jobs in each state with no experience